Do you want to become more successful? Will one more degree help you attain it? When Mark Zuckerberg asked Steve Jobs what he should do to achieve success, he was advised to go to an ashram in India. What did Steve Jobs get in India that is not available in the best universities of the world?
The Bhagwad Gita is a guide to self-management. It helps you understand yourself and identify your purpose. Your mindset and attitude play a pivotal role in success. Mark Twain said, “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you understand why.”
Why are there only pockets of excellence in a sea of mediocrity? Exceptionally talented people are emotionally fragile. Brilliant scientists cannot control their anger, and skilful sportspersons are mercurial. Is it possible to always tap into perfection?
You have two most wonderful gifts – choice of action and intellect. The intellect guides you to choose wisely. The mind opts for instant pleasure. The intellect picks deferred gratification. Anything that gives joy in the present leads to sorrow in the end. And that which is painful in the beginning yields everlasting happiness. Fortify and strengthen the intellect.
Contentment is the precursor to success. If you have the attitude of grabbing and profiteering, you are discontent. When you shift to giving and contributing, you are at peace. Think of yourself and you are disgruntled and depressed. Think of others and you are content and fulfilled.
When the mind is calm, the in tellect is sharp and actions are brilliant. You gain success. What disturbs the mind? Desire and ego. They stand between you and success, and between you and happiness. Learn the art of managing desires, upgrading them and, finally, eliminating them to attain perfection.
The Bhagwad Gita gives the prescription of perfect action, which enables you to achieve effortless excellence. When you leverage your talent for profit, you become mediocre. Dedicate your actions to a higher cause and you achieve success. The most successful people work for an ideal beyond themselves. And when you offer your talent in gratitude to the divine Force that gifted it to you, perfection flows.
We are strongly entrenched in feelings of separateness. Rise above superficial differences and focus on the common factor that binds us all. Then you see the best in others, and they give of their best too. Drudgery changes to revelry and together, you achieve outstanding success. Happiness multiplies. But your love must be guided by the intellect. You may love all animals equally but should express your love judiciously. You can hug your pet dog, but not a lion.
Knowledge is of the essence. Knowledge of the transient and impermanent nature of the world. Find the anchor of permanence within and you will become objective. And you will be in a constant state of bliss, irrespectiveof what the world offers.
Finally, the lure of the infinite beckons you. You are no longer content with mere playthings. The world and its attractions lose their lustre. You seek the infinite. And gain unending happiness.